Heat shield



943. c. STENBERG 2,326,981

HEAT SHIELD Filed May 31, 1941 in time since the-.escan Patented Aug. 17, 1943 BEAT IILd' 0-.Sfi ber rear9 .is l ii n- .eeeemtien May.-31, 194-1, s arm, seems Q Qla'im 1 0 $4. 0)

My invention relates to improvementsin "heat shields .for hair dryer and the primary object is toprovide a. device hy=means of whichthe face and :bodyof the customer-may -be protected from the hot weir currents circulated by the dryers" used in beauty shops,: without in: any interfering with the-normal drying-efiect of the air currents upon the :hair itself. l

ecn'c-ther objectis towprovid we, device of this nature .aac'laptecl for Juseupon hair dryer of all known models :andtypes, capable of being readv ily :anpiiedithereto and removed for :cleaning or replacement, and of such nature that; it may be adjusted. .on :customershead without requir- 'ing: un il-1c time ;on :the @artuof :the beauty operator.

'Stillnncther andaimporitantobject is'to provide ,a deviceofthis-loind havingmeansfor theescape .o-r relief of excess hot air. where necessary but with such release zmeans' so :located that itheeiir thus allowed --.to :escape fwill be prevented from strilging he iacc,1neek,-- or1body ,of .the user.

These and 'other mere detailed andxspecific bje t will be d lo e imthe ccourse-ofzthe 01- lowing specification, -reierence being "bad,- to the accompanying drawing, in Which ,-1.-is a side elevation ,of audryer showing my device .adjustedupon the dryer and a. scustomer an .-.h err-tom por {broken w t and in section to better disclose the arrangement-10f the device in use. 1

Fig. ;2 is .a similar view but showing a different type of dryer and another 'f orm. 0f my device in use thereon.

Fig.3 plan view-pf one form of .my'shield I .spreadoutflatly or as aplank,

It is round in practice, and the fact is well known the art, that the hot air from a hair dryer, although it is recirculated, will to some extent at least escape and flow ,down over the face and body .9; {the person using the dryer. This .is an undesirable .featuresince this Lair is extremely uncomfortable, Epanti culanly .inthe summer months, and fiurthenxnorezrepresents a waste causing, it is he l" ve ing cost to replace hint it le dryin effect. onthe hair. In all its various tormsrny invention ha the common function of echoed-lug or-capping thesers head that the hot air flowing outwardly m re the .clryer around the head iscon-fined and caused .toeither recirculate .into 4118' dryer or to escape at a point. immediately adjacent thedryer this ;end "all forms of the invention include a somewhat. annular, imperiora-te' lower member or portion adapted to 'fitaround the head near the hair lineot -the user and: tone adiu stably retainedi'in place .zbyzanelastic lower edge or bank and'means at the upper edgeto attach the memxberito-the (dryer, said attaching means being in one way or another of perforate or'o-pen worl; form'xin :order that the .a-ir may escape but in such manner that; the air .Willbe directed ou wvardlw clear or wearer. 1 Obviously the imperiorate portion.cfxt-hezshield will in use flare outward around the head allowing free access of the :hot air etc all parts 0f the hair and scalp and accelerating athe gdrying. action thereon.

uReiier-ring now-more particularly andiby refuetence characters tothe .drawinggin Fig. -1 there- :of Ishcwa hazlr dryerhaving ahead A Iof'a well known type :edjustably supported Joy-atilting serfimg as 11 01) and :bottom assume :anannular 1 .connection or neckHB atcxpsastand (1. 7111 such manner that lthe gopenilowerzend or .rim :1) may .be-:lowcred overthetunnergxcrtion of the cusig iomrslaeadias1clearlyshown. fl hisdryer is of a moderntype'ihavlngion opposite sides the out- 25 ma'rdly :oxtendcdhousintis, nne of which is shown at E, {or heat control switchiand reading lamp (neither shown). 1

E0 ruse in :connection with this dryer-my heat shield or protective: dev-ice formed of an elongated, rectangular length 'of flexible .imp'erforate material Such as arabric treated-to close its interstices and to aiaoilitate washing or cleaning.

piece :or blank: isfformed into an annular shape by fastening its narrow ends together as represented 10750 that "the'lon'ger edges, .now

shape well adapted to v fi-t around theidryer A 1 1 he .users ,head. These edges, designated (upnerand lowe-rl at {I I aandlz2respectively, are folded over to receive upper and lower elastic bands :or cords 13 and zl which .eonstrict the es-in 'wel 'knownmanner.

The intended lupner portion of the fabric :hood or .piece thus formed is provided with :openings which extend from a, point spaced fromlthe op- .posi-te lower ed e upwardly to and through the runn r edge, t-hose (openings being marginally reinforced, if -necessary,ygby bindings t5 .and being,

rim and thus well clear ,of-tlre face a nd [Foe-' 5 g -S aflr f renc three in number. For the dryer shown, one opening is then Iclisposedat the rear to clear :thestand connection B and :two .0

uncsite. gopeninga-onmshown at l:l,1ar e placed to clear; the aforesaid housings E. Eh-supper porfilqn: l8 OfAthe. device thus takes on .an open or lpflr p ate EfQrm- .Whflfiithfi narrower lower portion I 9 being uncut is completely impervious to the air.

The upper and lower elastic bands l3 and I4 extend at their ends clear of the respective edges l I and I 2 of the shield and may be provided with metal tips 20 to facilitate their insertion through the folded edges.

In practice the upper portion 3 of the shield is placed upwardly and around the dryer A so that the openings I6 and I! clear the obstructions formed by the connection B and housings E and the upper elastic band l3 encircles the dryer near its upper edge. This band may then be stretched tightly and tied at the rear as represented at 2| to hold the shield firmly in place. The lower edge portion I9 of the shield then hangs below the dryer but it may be turned upwardly over the dryer and held by the lower elastic band l4 when not in use.

To then putthe device to use the lower edge portion I9 is pulled down and the edge I2 placed around the wearers head so that it follows the hair line substantially and the elastic I4 is then tied as designated at 22. This edge is of course adjusted both as to position and tightness to afford the greatest comfort and then the dryer is lowered over the wearers head to about the usual position as shown. In so doing, the lower edge of the shield is carried upwardly somewhat into the drier so that the surrounding imperforate lower edge portion l9 assumes an outwardly, downwardly and then upwardly flaring or bulging position entirely around the head.

With the dryer in operation, the hot air currents may now play freely over the hair, which is entirely exposed to their effects, and the air will tend to flare or bulge the lower edge portion 13 of the shield outwardly but not to such extent as to cover the eyes of the wearer, the air being of course prevented from'escaping around the face and neck by the imperviousness of the shield. As a matter of fact the air will be turned or recirculated back into the dryer to thus effect a saving in operating and heating costs and at the same time to hasten the drying operation by the increased circulation over all the hair and scalp.

Any excess of air may, however, escape through the openings I B and I! which for this purpose are adjusted so that at lower ends they just downwardly clear the lower edge or rim D of the dryer. Any air thus escaping, as represented by the small arrows in the drawing, will be thrown outwardly and prevented from flowing downwardly in contact with the wearers face and neck by'the outward flare of the lower portion of the shield as well as by the fact that the air is thus discharged well outward from the head.

In Fig. 2 I illustrate a slightly different type of dryer at A having, instead of the side housings E, a single frontal housing E for the heat control switch or lamp. The dryer is supported by a connection B on the stand C and has the marginal lower edge or rim D as heretofore described. 1

For use on this, or any other dryer, my shield may also take the form shown in Fig. 2 in which a narrow elongated strip or piece of imperforate material is used to form the lower portion 23 and is fastened together at its narrow ends as at 24. The lower edge 25 is folded to enclose the lower elastic band or cord 26 while the upper edge 21 is bound and has secured at spaced points thereto the lower ends of strips or straps 2B. These straps are secured at one end, turned upwardly and then downwardly and secured to the edge 21 at a spaced point by their other ends and the loops or bights 29 thus formed at upper ends of the straps reecive the upper elastic band 30.

This elastic band 30 i tied at 3| around the dryer A so that the straps 28 extend downwardly and support the upper edge 21 of the member 23 just clear of, or below, the rim D. The open work formation of thesestraps thus permits them to be arranged to clear the housing E and connection B, as well as any other obstructions which may be on the dryer, and furthermore the straps reduce the weight and bulk of the shield as a whole.

In use the lower edge of the portion 23 of the shield is fastened around the wearers head and the device then functions exactly as previously described, protecting the face and neck from the hot air and permitting the escape of the excess air over the upper edge 21 as indicated by the arrows.

If desired or required the upper edge 2'! of the member 23 may also be provided with an elastic band or cord which may be adjusted and tied as designated at 30 to prevent this edge from flaring out too greatly under influence of the hot air issuing from the dryer. At the same time the elasticity is such as to permit the member 23 to be turned up over the dryer hood when not in use. A third or intermediate elastic of this nature may of course be used in connection with any of the various modifications of my shield.

Referring to Fig. 3, I show in the flat or blank form therein a shield comprising an imporforate or fabric lower portion and reticulated upper portion 4| fastened together along a meeting line 42. Upper and lower folded edges 43 and 44 receive the elastic bands 45 and 45. Here the portion 40 is not of the same width throughout, being narrower at the center 41 than toward the ends 48 to thus curve the meeting line 42 between the two kinds of material. The narrow center portion 41 is arranged at the front over the forehead of the wearer thus providing the greatest protection, due to the wider ends 48, at the back where most needed. In use this shield is formed to proper shape by bringing its narrow ends together and connecting the bands 45 and 46, after which it is used as are the shields of Figs. 1 and 2.

Here also the forward or forehead engaging part of the imperforate lower portion 40 is folded to form pleats as shown at 49 and the lower elastic band 46 (being flat in this case) is sewed tight as at 50 along this part in order that the gathering caused by contraction of the material on the band will be prevented. The edge is thus smooth at all times for greatest comfort and to prevent the forming of unsightly creases across the aforehead. This type of shield may be used where the dryer has no obstructions on its outer surface.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1."A shield for protecting the face and neck from the hot air in a hair dryer hood, comprising a flexible imperforate shield member of substantially cylindrical shape having open upper and lower ends; an elastic gathering means for and lower ends, an elastic gathering means for fastening said lower end over the user's head, an up er fastening means adapted for positioning around the dryer hood above the shield memher, and elongated straps folded at mid-portions and secured at said folds to the said upper fastenim means, the ends of the straps depending from the folds and'being attached to the shield member to support the same below the dryer hood.

IDA C. STEN'BERG. 

